Sinful Conflagration
Pond of Weskham The land of Asha was hailed as the most peaceful within the New World, something the inhabitants didn't shy away from to use as a pride source. However, the Asha of a few months ago has surely been different from what people were used to. A traitor had assassinated their humble king and killed dozens of soldiers in his way out of the island. They had failed to capture him. A tall, fat, pale man stood by the borders of the Weskham Pond, sitting at a large chair before a round table. The pond had crystalline water and stood atop one of the mountains, close to the north of the island. The grass was completely green and many trees stood around the place, providing a cover of sorts. This aforementioned man was Regin, the new Sin of Wrath and the former right hand of Damon, he munched on the clothing which covered the table. "NVROPOWDEQNWEOCPNQDWO, WHERE?! WHERE IS HE?!" He looked around furiously. The sins had been called for a reunion by the Pond, but so far, only Regin had arrived. And, with his Kenbunshoku, he could already tell one of them wouldn't come. "HOW COME THE DAMN LEADER WON'T COME TO THIS IMPORTANT REUNION?!" Baghatur Atraxias had exited the island some time ago, as Regin could only faintly feel his aura. "YOU'RE TOO SUSPICIOUS, PRIDE, I KNEW SOMETHING WAS FISHY WHEN YOU DIDN'T HELP US THAT DAY!" Regin yelled at no one, raising his right fist as veins popped around his face. He could only deduce that, for some reason, Atraxias was set to hunt the traitor. "This is some fuckin' delay on your part." Regin spat the clothing. He, too, had read the newspaper about Damon's recent bounty. "Well, well, well... what a loud and fat man you are." A feminine voice could be heard coming from the path leading to the place. As she walked and approached the table, the sound of her steps were followed by the jingling of the bells attached to her purple hair and clothes. With an unusually pale skin and a grin ressembling that of a shark, she sat on the nearest chair, resting her head on the table as it was the most comfortable pillow. With her face directioned to Regin, she kept staring him in silence, with her eyes barely opened, glowing in a strange tone of yellow. A cough was what signalled the location of Fabian. He had just arrived, and he looked much more presentable then usual. His beard had been trimmed, his hair done, and his clothes rid of all food stains. He walked up to his...comrades and took a seat. "Now now, Rika," Fabian began, pulling out a snack from his jacket. "No need to make fun of Regin for being absurdly fat. We just have to accept the idiot for who he is." Regin angrily smacked his belly. "This fat here is pure muscle!!!" He followed the woman with his eyes as she took her seating. Regin responded her stare with one intense of his own, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Hers glew yellow, and it made Regin scream internally. "ANSTOÇPQFAOÇNIRWO!!! WHAT, WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING?!" His face kept its default, serious expression, yet, it was covered by sweat. The contest was interrupted by Fabian's words, as Regin snapped out of it and snarled against the other fat man. "The Kettle calling the Pot, huh?! You don't look bad yourself, Fabian!" Regin dramatically pointed his hand towards the other sin who took his seat. Deep down, though, Regin was planning for the next time they had a meeting like this. His mental self grinned widely. "Rashashashasha! These idiots will surely see how HANDSOME I look when I try!" A mental image of Regin clad in a black suit and wearing sunglasses appeared, it licked a ridiculously tall ice cream. "One day..." It was his life long dream to gain an island of his own and shape it however he wanted. He does have the necessary power for that in the form of the Ishi Ishi no Mi, after all. Two fatsos and greedy priest. That was the company that had been awaiting Ban every goddam day he had partecipated at that stupid meetings. The duelist had come just in time to see Regin caught in his daydream fantasy, so he found it fanny to burst all of them from the bubble. "Come on guys, there is no need to make a fuss. You are both disgusting, obese pigs. And you, Rika, you always dress like you were cosplaying a reject anime schoolgirl. You are rich as fuck. Get a new wardrobe, please". He remarked. On the contrary, Ban was very slim, a fit man at the top of his shape. He wore a stylish leather jacket, tight pants and two large glasses with opaque lens. He felt to be the only person in the room with a genuine sense of style, since Atraxias had gone. And he was sure to be the only one with a semblance of integrity. "Perhaps he got better things to do than having you blabbing and quarreling all the damn time". He sneered, taking his place in that bunch of freaks. "Fabian, you just say that because you are fat too. Now you have a fat friend that'll help you eat the entire stock of food from the Kingdom." Rika started ignoring Regin as soon as Fabian arrived. She put both of her elbows on the table, joining her hands and resting her chin on it. "Wrath? More like Glutonny 2.0." As Ban arrived, she followed him with her eyes and listened to every provocative word directed to her with a smile. "Oh, Ban. You just say that because you can't be as cute as me." She said with a childish voice, tilting her head to the left. Fabian laughed. "As you said Regin, this is pure muscle." Fabian become slightly aggravated when Ban arrived. He further became aggravated when he insulted him. "Let's go a few rounds, short stuff. Let's see who's talking then." Fabian spat, his appearance flickering from his current state to his 'fully-charged' state, which made his body not only increase in height, but changed his physique to one that people only dreamed about, one rippling with muscles. Fabian looked towards Rika. "Shut up girl. Your dress is bland in appearance. For once I agree with Ban, you should change your clothes." "IOVNWAJCSOO, I have not listened to that, Rika!" Regin moved his palm in front of him. Hearing Ban's words, something twisted in him. "Coooooooourse! Call me an obese!" Regin suddenly snapped out of his dream, his veins bulging. He quickly got up from his chair and jumped to stand beside Fabian, striking a pose by putting his hands forward. "Let's do this, Fab! THEN WE CAN EAT THE KINGDOM'S STOCK LIKE RI- Yeah, I mean, yeah." Regin wouldn't lie, he was actually hungry, but, they had been reunited for an important reunion. He remembered how Atraxias simply went away, and how the other Sins would probably be late to this. "HMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" Instead of charging at Ban, Regin simply clapped his hands together and sat on an erupting chair of rock, made with his powers, provoking a shockwave which travelled through the entire pond. "This is not right!!!" He yelled all of a sudden. "Companions! The Sins are individual mercenaries, BUT, today we're here to set aside our differences for the moment, right?!" Regin viciously tapped his left foot against the ground. "Listen to me!" Regin bulged his lips and looked at everyone present. "We all know we had a traitor among us, and we tried to hunt him down, right?! However, we didn't suceed, and the man responsible for that, our very leader, Atraxias, is missing too!" He waved his arms around. "Meh, I'm sure Atraxias is fine. Or maybe..." Rika took out from a pocket in her shirt a small notebook and a pen. She opened it, revealing a page with the name of each member of the Seven Deadly Sins, excluding hers, enumerated from 1 to 7. In the first spot was written Atraxias, in the second Damon with the drawing of a red star right next to it, followed by Ban, Fabian, Regin, and the two remaining spots filled with an incomprehensible calligraphy. She put the pen close to her mouth, looking up with an expression of doubt. "Or maybe Atraxias betrayed us too. Should I put a star in his name?" She soon realized the foolishness in her words, smiling. "Huuuh, who am I kidding? Atraxias would never betray us. Right?" "That's probably one of the the only smart things ever comin' out of your mouth, Rika". Ban's eyes were almost rolling in his sockets. Atraxias may have been an A class upper-lip, but a betrayal on his part was less probable than the coming of a troup of cherubs dressing in tuxedos. Moreover, he wasn't sure at that Damon had backstabbed them either. He could smell debauchery like a hunting dog, and the face the former Wrath made was nothing like a cold murderer. However, all things were still pointing at the old pal: Ban could not do a damn thing to save Damon's reputation, nor his poor ass. A slight ache crossed through the Sins's back: to ease the tention, he stretched on his chair. He had really some bad feelings about the matter. "Can I ask you, however, why the hell we've all been summoned here? Atraxias is not present: Damon is still running AWOL. It is all just to have us doing some chit-chat, pissing each other off and staing the obvious? You know: I've got actual interesting ''and ''useful stuff to do. I'll be facing the final of a duel championship in three days, and I am late in my training schedule". Fabian raised a brow. "I thought you'd know, Ban." he began. "I was just told to make my way over here." "Betrayed us?! HUDEHQWOJ0OQO! No no, I've read that aura of his, and it's clear that he wants to hunt the traitor down." Regin said in a hurry, waving his hands around. He wouldn't lie that he felt a weird sensation coming from Ban, once again, but he paid it no mind, this was not the time for it. Startled by Ban's yelling, Regin commented. "Now that I think about it..." He scratched his face with his right hand and looked around. "I'm not sure either... I just received the message-" "It was I, Ariel, who called you all." A calming voice filled everyone's ears, as a young figure appeared from behind one of the many trees. This was Asha Ariel, the current and youngest Princess of the Asha Kingdom, also known as their land's Oracle, alongside her Brother. She had pale skin and silver hair, long enough to reach her waist, with some bangs covering her right eye completely. Her uncovered eye showed that its color was blue. Ariel also had a blue earring. She donned her usual princess outfit, a long pink dress, which had brown fur treamed at its collar and was long enough to reach her knees. Her hands were clapped together, as she looked at all of them. "O' Sins, this is not my message I carry, but, one from my dear brother, Samael." Ariel's eyes stood closed as she approached the group. "He spoke, Our Kingdom is in Danger. One of our own stands admist the destruction." She openned her eyes. As the princess arrived, Rika was too concentrated drawing in her notebook to look in her direction. However, as her voice reached Rika's ears with the message from the prince, she stopped her scribbles for a second, facing Ariel. "Eh? I don't get it. You're saying that one of us is the responsible for the Kingdom's future destruction? That's funny." She faced her notebook; in the page, a childish drawing of Atraxias was on it. "Damon could possibly be back for revenge, but I can't trust Atraxias either; and Regin's impression on Atraxias is not valid for me. He barely know him, and we all know what he did... or better, he didn't do when Damon escaped." She drew a red line in the neck of Atraxias' figure, putting a smile on her face as she distanced the pen from the paper, facing Ariel again. "He is just... hm... too... hm... mysterious." Fabian burped. "Well, one of our own could be someone from our kingdom, right? So really, anyone from here could cause the destruction of our kingdom." he said, shoving down an entire burger in one gulp. "But it'd probably be someone with a high ranking. Like a noble or...no, it couldn't...That's all I have to offer." A prediction from the Oracle. Bad stuff. Really bad stuff. Prophecies tends the most difficult thing to interpret, and the easiest thing to screw up massively when understood badly. Ban voiced his concerns "How are we going to act from this? Making accusations on each other, all based on vague predictions? We do not know, forgive my Highness, shit about who the culprit should be. Anyone could lead this Kingdom to ruination even by a goddam accident, as far as your vision is concerned. When so many people are eligible for gallows, it's much better just being vigilant and waiting until somebody makes a misstep." "Um, I'm not good with... these things..." Regin scratched his head as he looked at Ariel. He truly didn'tknow much of what to do on paper and was more of a fighter. "I feel like we shoulda' take action! She came to see US, so, it must be because she's betting on the traitor!" Regin smacked his palm against his chest. "Your trust in me is comforting, Sir Rakshasa." Ariel smiled and bowed herself slightly. "My brother has indeed said that the presence in his vision is akin to the one who has..." She paused, tightening her hands into fists and into each other. "...murdered our dear father." Ariel sighed, trying to recompose, she deeply missed her father, but tried to not show it, she couldn't be weak for her people. She openned her eyes and looked at all of them. "So, please, Sins. I beg you to search for the Traitor, before anything else happens, guide him back to our side." Ariel clapped her hands and interviened her fingers. "Those who don't wish to... I won't blame you." "Guide him, hm?" Rika appeared to be disappointed with the decision at first, but she couldn't hide the grin on her face. "Fine, fine. I'll guide him." She giggled, waiting for the other's response. Fabian coughed. "By guide, you mean forcefully bring him back, right? If that's the case, I'm in." he finished, a small smirk manifesting itself onto his face. "Well at least we've got something clearer we can work on". Ban strecthed both his arms; he joined his fingers, turning his palms on the outside. "So, we need to get ol' Damon back to business, all in one piece. This is fine news, your Highness." A grin widened and curled the duelist's lips: he was really curious to see how much stronger his old pal has gotten since his abscence. Yonko crews don't accept pussies in their ranks, after all. Regin clenched his fists, seemingly not liking the idea of Damon's forgiveness. It had been too abrupt for him, the situation as a whole. He still hadn't digested the events of that night and pondered how long it would take, at all. Regin paid no mind at his companions' comments, feeling that they were indeed more free-minded than he ever could be. In the end, they just wanted to do their own thing, they had their own lives, and he would never blame them for that. Before Regin could even say anything, Ariel continued to speak. "Your search ought to be soon, Sins, or so I advise. Otherwise, the consequences shall be even bigger." She waved her hand towards the closest side to the sea, remembering the many islands she had once visited. "Embark, explore these islands of our New World, find Asura. It has been a few weeks, yet, my brother could see that he didn't go far, and my sister has departed in seach of him." Even so, Ariel felt like her sister wouldn't be enough. It didn't help that she had to send them away. Ariel looked back at the group with a soft expression. "The Stepping Isle, a famous haven of information; Dressrosa, recently shaken along Elbaf; Al-Shams, a messy civilization of a desert... start from those, choose the one at your own liking. Use the resources and methods you deem fit...Asha needs you, we have lost much already, I wish I could use my powers..." Her expression fell. "But, for some reason, I can't... so-" Ariel clapped her hands once again and closed her eyes, feeling her eyes tearing up. "Please!" Seeing her plead, Regin almost asked her to calm down. Their princess was too good for them, she cared, tended, helped, advised. There wasn't anything that crossed his mind, that Ariel wouldn't genuinely do for them. At least, that's what he felt. "I'll embark, soon, to the Kingdom of Linster then." He commented, nodding at the group. Regin remembered Linster as the island of that fateful event... Damon had been gotten as a prisoner of war for an entire year, with no reinforcements to be called, as it was expected to be a long mission. He shuddered, sweat ran down his body, having remembered what made Damon go crazy that day. The princess' plead didn't convince Rika. However, she accepted the offer anyway. Asha didn't bring the action Rika wanted to her life and leaving the Kingdom would be great to breath a new air and bath in new blood. And, of course, the chance to find Damon and kill him excited her. "Fine, fine. I'll go to Dressrosa." Fabian raised a brow as the princess pleaded. Fabian didn't trust her one bit, but he couldn't deny the chance to travel to an exotic location, and try new types of cuisine. He could potentially meet some fine-looking woman as well... "I'll head to Al-Shams. It'll be fun there." Ban made a quick whistle. "So, it means that I'll have to go on the Stepping Isle. A change of place won't be bad for me at all, I suppose". The Stepping Isle was nice place, filled with nice opportunites to fight, nice prizes to win, nice people to meet. The fact that he didn't need to tag along with his really nice companions was just the icing on the cake. Bon Voyage "Is this what these guys really want...?" The question ressonated within Regin's mind as he glanced at all of the present Sins. He knew most of them for a decade now, having been part of the army, not that the Kingdom was immense like a continent. Ban seemed to only want to duel, Fabian only wanted an easy life, Rika killed, punished, preached... was it truly okay to have this much for a life? Maybe they thought this was an easiest-life-contest. Regin had dreams and sought to accomplish them when the time came, to achieve people's praise, even if he wasn't a person of much attitude. Why was the Princess begging them so much? Had they not known that not all of them should go? He wondered where Sloth and Lust were, having not heard of them in a while. The country was still somewhat of a mess, one Princess was gone, one Prince slept constantly and the Queen seemed to not care at all. The Sins' Leader disappeared as well. Regin pondered how Ariel even managed to talk to Samael, who, even with his father's death, seemed to not change at all. He knew how they all felt at the king's murder. Regin himself lashed out at Damon almost instantly, berating him for betraying them so wickedly, for shitting on so many centuries of peace, for shitting on their position as Redeemers. Ever since Linster, Damon hadn't been fully okay, and Regin knew that, but, he never asked. They had been friends for years, and Damon had certainly helped him in many ways. Regin gulped some saliva and sweated, licking his lips as he prepared to talk. Only then... "Sins, if I may..." Ariel said as she recomposed herself, patting the lap of her dress with both hands. "...what is it that you truly desire through this?" She smiled at them. "Father used to tell so many stories about the distinct people each of you are. And... even as your Princess... I hath never taken my time to fully know you all, and I can only apology for that." Ariel bowed slightly, taking her dress' lap in a tighter grip. "What I desire? That's easy." Rika started. She holded the hemline of her skirt with both hands, bending her knees without touching the ground while bowing her head; a courtesy gesture. "I just want to kill more." She looked towards the princess with her usual grin, but her expression seemed different. Instead of the maliciousness of her intentions, she said it with the joy of a child. It was something that Rika enjoyed and would gladly do, for business or for fun. Fabian was slightly suspicious. Why did the princess suddenly care? But after Rika had finished her direct statement, Fabian decided to follow suit. "Well, I desire..." he began, taking a pause as if he was pondering. "May sound weird, but knowledge. It's why I like my job, I get to literally eat knowledge." he finished, chuckling. He looked at Ban, curious about his intentions, his desires. Ban's head tilted a bit. He couldn't honestly guess why a woman from the royal family would pay two cents of her time on a dirty commoner like him, whose pedigree was probably less illustrious than that of the dogs nobles are usually crazy for. The woman looked and acted really nice and really humble. A proper lady, no doubt, without an inch of smugness, and with all the curves in the right places. Hadn't she been the daughter of the late king, she would make a really fine woman for him. Certainly much better than the stalker, loan-shark witch with a Lolicon fetish lookin' at him in that moment. Knowin' Rita's fame and ruthlessness as a assassin and businessman, Ban surely didn't know if he were more crept out or disgusted by her attention. "Me, your Highness? I just want to prove everyone I'm not a guy they should f...mess with." He corrected himself at the last second. "Wanna' be the very best, winning the best prizes, winning the best matches, that's all". Ban could have told her he desired to get to the bottom of Damon's supposed betrayal, but didn't want to pour more salt in the wounds, not in front of the girl whose father is the one murdered by the ploy. Not without any proof of Damon's innocence, which he was quite sure would have popped up from somewhere, sooner or later. Regin clenched his fists. It's not like he wasn't expecting their answers, in fact, he had predicted some of it. Yet, his hands loosened right away, he promised and told himself that he would not judge them. Despite her honesty, Ariel hadn't expected them to truly abide by her request. Her mouth hanged open for a few seconds as her eyes stared at nothing. They all had their lives, and this chat, as small as it was, just cemented that fact on her mind. Then, a smile filled her expression. "I see." She clapped her hands and interviened her fingers. Ariel had always been doted as a caring person, putting herself in another's situation, offering whatever help she could offer, whatever guidance. At least, that was what she was told to in person. Maybe it was just because she was the Oracle. Having eaten the Seri Seri no Mi nineteen years ago, when she was just five, Ariel had been blessed with clairvoyance powers. She wished to not see all of which came to her, but, she had no choice. Samael had even developed a technique, which somehow allowed him to share this burden. Under normal circunstances, she truly wished that she could make proper acquintancy with the group. But, a decision she couldn't make, as choices she didn't have. At these thoughts, her hands tightened and her teeth nearly drew blood from her mouth, Ariel felt as if she was cowering under the presence of an infinite black void. She wished to be as strong willed as Samael, to be as openly kind as Leliel... No. It had to stop, Ariel had to stop wishing and vow to actually try... only if the situation was different. Ariel shook her head, her thoughts having lingered for no longer than a few seconds, and smiled at the Sins once again. "I thank you for your time... and for your devotion, Sins. Don't let yourselves be burdened or brought down by your titles, the sun shines down on all of us." The wind howled and the leaves flew, as Ariel bowed, once again, at them. She had to go now, back to her Mother. Category:Role-Plays Category:DamonDraco Category:GalaxiaWW Category:KontonMan Category:Tabor gorilla